The present invention generally relates to plug-in connectors for use with electronic signal processing apparatus. Specifically, the invention is a novel multiple conductor connector for interfacing circuit boards or logic circuit cards to computer backplanes and the like.
In present day digital signal processing apparatus, such as computers, the trend is toward faster switching speeds and multiple signal handling capabilities. That is, presently desired characteristics include higher signal frequencies and greater signal density. However, at switching frequencies over 100 megahertz, the dimensions of conventional printed circuit connectors are significant relative to the wavelengths at such high frequencies. Therefore, the characteristic impedances of the PC connectors become very critical because an impedance mismatch will cause undesired distortion and attenuation of the propagating signals.
Moreover, because present day signal processing equipment is capable of handling many signals, the number of interconnections in the backplane of a computer is quite large. The large number of interconnections along with today's compact circuitry make the capability of handling a greater number of signals with fewer connections a desirable feature. However, conventional PC connectors do not provide such a feature because these prior art devices require two connections for each signal: a signal carrying connection and a reference connection.